WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2008

Daschle Critical Of Anthrax Probe

Says Suicide Of Suspect In 2001 Bioterrorism Attacks Only Further Hampers Investigation

    • The envelope containing anthrax spores was sent to Senator Tom Daschle on Oct. 23, 2001. Tests revealed the samples differed slightly from the anthrax sent to media organizations and other victims.

      The envelope containing anthrax spores was sent to Senator Tom Daschle on Oct. 23, 2001. Tests revealed the samples differed slightly from the anthrax sent to media organizations and other victims.  (AP)

    • Bruce Ivins at the American Red Cross Emergency Shelter in the Frederick Community College gym in September 2003.

      Bruce Ivins at the American Red Cross Emergency Shelter in the Frederick Community College gym in September 2003.  (The Frederick News-Post)

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  • Play CBS Video Video Anthrax Mystery Continues

    Many are wondering whether the suicide of Dr. Bruce Ivins, accused by the FBI of planning the 2001 anthrax attacks, really settles the mystery which swept fear across the nation. Tony Guida reports.

  • Video Anthrax Suspect Commits Suicide

    Dr. Bruce Ivins, an anthrax specialist who was accused by the FBI of organizing the notorious chemical attacks in late September 2001, has committed suicide. Chip Reid reports.

  • Video Anthrax Case Remains Open

    The mystery behind the Washington D.C. anthrax attacks remains unsolved and the government has settled millions on a one-time suspect. Bob Orr reports on a case with no imminent arrests in sight.

  • Timeline Anthrax In The Mail

    Key dates in the investigation of the 2001 U.S. anthrax attacks

  • Interactive Anthrax

    Follow the search for the anthrax attacker, learn about the bacteria's use as a bio-weapon and find out how you can get infected and what it does to your body.

(AP)  Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, whose office was a target of the anthrax attacks in 2001, said Sunday the suicide of the government's main suspect does not mean the case is over.

Daschle said the FBI has not given him any new updates. He also raised questions about the quality of the investigation, noting that the government recently paid out almost $6 million to a former Army scientist, Steven Hatfill, who accused authorities of unfairly targeting him in the anthrax case.

"From the very beginning I've had real concerns about the quality of the investigation," Daschle said in a broadcast interview. "Given the fact that they already paid somebody else $5 million for the mistakes they must have made gives you some indication of the overall caliber and quality of the investigation."

Five people died and 17 others were sickened when anthrax-laced letters began showing up at congressional offices, newsrooms and post offices soon after Sept. 11, 2001.

The case re-emerged in the news this past week as investigators prepared to charge a government scientist Bruce Ivins in the case. Ivins died Tuesday in what has been ruled a suicide.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't bring anything to closure," Daschle said. "This probably further complicates their ability to get to the facts."

He said he did not know if the investigation involving Ivins "is just another false track and a real diversion of where they need to be. We don't know, and they aren't telling us."

Tom Ridge, Bush's Homeland Security secretary at the time of the anthrax attacks, said he did not know what evidence the FBI had uncovered against Ivins.

"But I know that they were relentless, relentless, both domestically and overseas, both with the notion that it could have been a part of a broader terrorist network, but it could also have been the act of a deranged individual or two," Ridge said.

Daschle appeared on "Fox News Sunday," while Ridge was on "This Week" on ABC.

© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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by lambor59 August 5, 2008 12:54 AM EDT
The Anthrax smells like *** Cheney or may be Bush, These 2 cr%u01A1oks must have their hands in this operation.
Reply to this comment
by cbs_bull August 4, 2008 1:30 PM EDT
I think this government owes us an explanation why they think Ivins is the culprit. They have been proven incompetent in the Hatfill''s case. They have to show us now why Ivins is not the 2nd Hatfill. We need evidence.
Reply to this comment
by mydiatribe August 4, 2008 12:11 PM EDT
Never thought Tom Dashele and I could ever agree on anything, but on this investigation
I say: ''Right On Tom!'' Go Get them! Sic''em boy!
Reply to this comment
by samsel3 August 4, 2008 11:31 AM EDT
Another case of CIA assisted suicide.......Dr. Ivins joins another Fort Detrick Alumni, Dr. Frank Olson. The dead cannot speak and incriminate their perpetrators.

"While aides to Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld and Richard Cheney helped cover up the background to the death of CIA scientist, Frank Olson who fell from a 10th floor window in 1953, not long after he had been classified as a potential security risk."

"Olson''s son Eric says his father''s conscience was troubled by awareness of Nazi-style CIA experiments on human subjects. "Frank Olson was not, after all a civilian employee of the Army. He was a CIA employee working at Fort Detrick on precursor programs to MK-ULTRA, specializing in anthrax aerosols, possibly for for use in covert assassination.
Olson''s passport, indicates that in the summer of 1953 --only months before his death-- he had visited secret joint American-British testing and research installations near Frankfurt, Germany where he had likely witnessed terminal experiments on expendable prisoners. His misgivings were such that a British intelligence agent who became aware of them recommended that Olson be denied further access to Porton Down, the British chemical-weapons research establishment."



Reply to this comment
by samsel3 August 4, 2008 11:29 AM EDT
In an interview with Merideth Viera on NBC this morning August 4, 2008, the bureau chief of the Fort Detrick lab, and boss of Dr. Ivins said: " I don''t beleive anything the Government is saying about Bruce Ivins".
Reply to this comment
by jmurrieta1 August 4, 2008 11:23 AM EDT
And just exactly what was this "new DNA technique" that wasn''t available in 2001 or 2003 or 2005?

Strange how our crusading free press just has never managed to get this information to the public.

It''s almost like the FBI and the Bushite administration made it up to excuse their appalling lack of performance.

Or maybe, just maybe, they don''t want us to know.
Reply to this comment
by neoconrcrazy August 4, 2008 10:57 AM EDT
Sorry I was being cynical perhaps a little too much.

Posted by Marshall_Nee


it''s ok dude - consider yourself not reported.


Reply to this comment
by neoconrcrazy August 4, 2008 10:55 AM EDT
try to imagine -

from Sept 11th to Oct 23rd 2001 only 40 days passed

and within those 40 days the anthrax was planned?

seems like very little time .....

So was it planned before 9-11 ?

It is just coincidence it happened shortly after 9-11?

Why did our government immediately accuse iraq?

When we have the knowledge to identify the various strains of anthrax and their production origin?

anyone getting frightened?

Reply to this comment
by marshall_nee August 4, 2008 10:49 AM EDT
Posted by neoconRcrazy at 07:42 AM : Aug 04, 2008

Sorry I was being cynical perhaps a little too much.
Reply to this comment
by neoconrcrazy August 4, 2008 10:42 AM EDT
Daschle would do well to keep quiet, otherwise, he might be getting another ''''letter'''' in the not too distant future.


Posted by Marshall_Nee



sick dude - consider yourself reported.


Reply to this comment
by xlib August 4, 2008 10:33 AM EDT
This guy''s still alive?? Geesh, don''t hear from him for years once he''s bounced and here he is, mouth and all.
Sure he doesn''t trust the investigation. Why would he. Most of the guys in the FBI were clinton hold overs.
Can we hear those famous clinton words "vast right wing consipiracy". Yea that''s it.
Reply to this comment
by marshall_nee August 4, 2008 9:15 AM EDT
Daschle Critical Of Anthrax Probe

_________________________________


Daschle would do well to keep quiet, otherwise, he might be getting another ''letter'' in the not too distant future.
Reply to this comment
by redwhtblue2 August 4, 2008 6:44 AM EDT
The anthrax attacks of October 2001 were obviously carried out by a neocon Black Op team in concert with the team that took down the WTC. The attacks were aimed at two Democratic Senators: Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy who were holding up the "Patriot Act" out of constitutional concerns. Just as bioweapons researcher Bruce Ivins was about to be charged with perpetrating the attacks, he commits suicide. His convenient death prevents any future investigation into the masterminds of the attacks.

Posted by mtracy9 at 08:20 PM : Aug 03, 2008

Media talking points

Suicide Of Suspect In 2001 Bioterrorism Attacks

Case closed

Honest I read a story the media is already reporting the case is over.

If Aliens exsist you know they''re just sitting there going Christ these people will kill themsselves and blow up their own planet for green pieces of paper.

We can wait
Reply to this comment
by redwhtblue2 August 4, 2008 6:41 AM EDT
we have here, probably, the "suicide" of someone who had absolutely nothing to do with it.... classic !



Posted by neoconRcrazy at 03:37 AM : Aug 04, 2008

Oh but Ken Lay''s autopsy report he had a heart attack LOL
Reply to this comment
by redwhtblue2 August 4, 2008 6:39 AM EDT
Clue #1

Notice how all the Senators that were sent Anthrax letters were Democrats

Clue #2

Republicans President and VP

9/11 invasion rational for invasion into Afgan/Iraq

Clue #3

Bush Admin

Passing laws allowing US Govt to read US citizens, mail, Tap land line and cell phone calls before it was legal

Clue # 4

Fake Bin Laden

Video''s

Clue #5

National Media

Starts Blaming Al Queda right and Bin Laden before tower falls

Clue #6

Cheney tries to keep Daschel and US Senate from creating Indpendent Investigation into 9/11

Another 25 Clues not listed

But you folks get the picture



Reply to this comment
by neoconrcrazy August 4, 2008 6:37 AM EDT
we have here, probably, the "suicide" of someone who had absolutely nothing to do with it.... classic !


Reply to this comment
by redwhtblue2 August 4, 2008 6:33 AM EDT
Daschle said the FBI has not given him any new updates. He also raised questions about the quality of the investigation, noting that the government recently paid out almost $6 million to a former Army scientist, Steven Hatfill, who accused authorities of unfairly targeting him in the anthrax case.


Good one Daschle and the right wingers go duh ha what

Right wingers go what does he mean?
Reply to this comment
by rudy654-2009 August 4, 2008 3:24 AM EDT
Who is Dashale? oh yeah the bum that got beat a few years ago, the case is closed, he is gone and that is all that matters.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by zgomer at 08:22 PM

Hey dummy, he was one of the targets, you case you didn''t know it. That puts him in a better place than you behind your computer.
Reply to this comment
by rudy654-2009 August 4, 2008 3:23 AM EDT
He said he did not know if the investigation involving Ivins "is just another false track and a real diversion of where they need to be. We don''t know, and they aren''t telling us."
************

Well said Daschle. They aren''t telling us! At this point it has all been conveniently packaged and the news sources have bought it without question. Canned news sources, anyone?
Reply to this comment
by mtracy9 August 3, 2008 11:34 PM EDT
The "suicide" was another neocon hit made to keep the truth of the neocon inside job from coming out.
Reply to this comment
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